Pterospermum diversifolium Blume, Bijdr. 88 1825. (syn; Dombeya diversifolia Spreng.; Pterospermadendron diversifolium Kuntze (Unresolved);                                Pterospermum glabrescens Wt. & Arn.);
India: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala as per BSI Flora of India;
 
Tamil: Vattapolavu Malayalam: Pambaram, Malavuram
 

Habit- Trees up to 20 m tall.

Trunk\bark- Bark brown, smooth; blaze red.
Branchlets- Branches horizontal; young branchlets terete, tawny tomentose and stellate hairy.
Leaves- Leaves simple, alternate, distichous; stipule lateral, caducous and leaving scar; petiole up to 1.5 cm long, tomentose, terete; lamina 11.5-18 (-25.5) x 8.5-13.5 (-17) cm, oblong to pandurate, much variable in sapling, apex acuminate, base cordate, truncate to asymmetric (peltate in young saplings), glabrous above, silvery pubescent beneath, drying brown above, coriaceous; 5-nerved at base; midrib canaliculate above; secondary nerves 5-9 pairs, impressed above, strong beneath; tertiary nerves obliquely percurrent.
Flowers- Flowers large, solitary or 2-3 together, axillary, white; bracteoles laciniate; pedicel 0.5 cm long.
Fruit& seed- Capsule, woody, 5-angled, to 7.6 x 3.8 cm, tomentose; seeds compressed, 8-11 in each cell, winged at one end.
Trees in disturbed evergreen to semi-evergreen forests up to 700 m.
Indomalaysia; in the Western Ghats- South, Central and south Maharashtra Sahyadris.
(Attributions- B. R. Ramesh, N. Ayyappan, Pierre Grard, Juliana Prosperi, S. Aravajy, Jean Pierre Pascal, The Biotik Team, French Institute of Pondicherry.                

 

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Megamalai :: Pterospermum for identification :: 271113MK003 : Attachments (6). 7 posts by 6 authors,

Please help me in identifying this Sterculiaceae tree found in semi-evergreen tracts.
Tree height: c. 15 m
Leaf: up to 20 cm long
Fruit: 15 x 1.5 cm
Place: Vellimalai RF, Theni, TN
Date: 04 Oct 2013
Alt.: 750 m asl


Good description of P acerifolium.


Pterospermum species so far in efi 


Pterospermum acerifolium


I have a slight doubt that it is P. acerifolium. I know this tree from cultivation only and the leaves are peltate, coarsely toothed, and many are larger than 20cms
Is there a chance that it could be another Pterospermum species?


This should be P. diversifolium Bl., a wild plant.


See the key to Pterospermum in Flora of India vol. 3: page 447. 1993. The main character shown in the first dichotomy is whether the capsules are angular or terete. Unfortunately the images do not show non-dehisced intact fruit. However, the picture indicates similarity to P. acerifolium (L.) Willd.


I will go with … for Pterospermum diversifolium Blume as per keys at http://efloraindia.nic.in/efloraindia/taxonList.action?id=3390&type=3


 

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155-TSP-ID-02FEB2018-2:A tree near Sakaleshpur for ID assistance : 14 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (4)

Kindly examine and identify this Tree 

Habit: Tree 

Habitat: Wild,Evergreen forest 

Sighting: Near Sakaleshpur,Karnataka about 1000 msl 

Date: 27-10-2015


Looks interesting species of Pterospermum not available so far in efi site as per 

/species/m—z/m/malvaceae/pterospermum


Pterospermum diversifolium  


To me it looks like Pterospermum rubiginosum 

The picture already available with efi is not clear


Thanks, … … also identified it as Pterospermum diversifolium 


Went through the description of both Pterospermum diversifolium and Pterospermum rubiginosum in the Digital Flora of Karnataka.Leaves elliptic-ob ovate, young parts minutely rusty, pubescent, as seen in the uploaded images is indicative of Pterospermum diversifolium.